Why West Ham should sign Simon Falette next summer
According to an earlier report from Nottinghamshire Live, Nottingham Forest were interested in signing Eintracht Frankfurt defender Simon Falette in January. However, a move to English football failed to materialize for the one-cap Equatorial Guinea international.
Born in France to parents of African descent, Falette rose through the youth ranks at Ligue 1 club FC Lorient. However, he spent time with the reserve team and on loan at Ligue 2 sides Laval and Brest, joining the latter permanently in 2014.
Falette impressed with his development in the second tier and was rewarded with a contract at Ligue 1 club Metz. After making 40 appearances across all competitions for Metz, Falette made his move to the Bundesliga in the summer of 2017.
Despite impressing with his consistent performances at the back last season, the 26-year-old has slipped down the pecking order at Frankfurt, starting only 5 games in the Bundesliga. Falette has struggled for playtime this season due to competition for places and a move away from Frankfurt might work in favour of his development.
Standing at 6ft. 1 inch with a tall and sinewy frame, Falette is known for his high levels of concentration and composure as a centre-back, whilst also keeping the opposition at bay with his superior aerial prowess. His height, combined with his physicality, allows him to beat his offensive counterparts to the aerial balls, making him a genuine threat inside both penalty boxes.
Falette is also a decent passer of the ball who likes to stand his ground, often relying on his positional awareness to prevent the opposition from causing damage. As a matter of fact, he was dribbled past only 12 times across 27 appearances in the Bundesliga last term, figures which are quite impressive for a centre-back
To put things into perspective, West Ham should start keeping tabs on the 26-year-old ahead of the summer transfer window in a bid to bolster their defensive resources. The Hammers have endured a season filled with plenty of ups and downs but they have done well to stay in the hunt for a respectable finish.
West Ham were one of the highest spending teams in the Premier League last summer, with Manuel Pellegrini bringing in the likes of Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko, Lukasz Fabianski, Issa Diop and many more to bolster the squad. However, the Hammers have seen their options limited at times due to injuries to several of their key players.
Read More:- West Ham reigniting their interest in this 30-year-old French powerhouse would make them solid in the middle
West Ham should not hesitate to reshape their squad once again next summer and they should consider making a bid for Simon Falette to strengthen their backline. Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop have done pretty well in their debut season in the Premier League but the Hammers need to replace the likes of Angelo Ogbonna and Winston Reid, with the latter yet to play a part in the current season.
That said, the east London outfit should start keeping tabs on the out of favour Bundesliga star.
